Lit terms #6

Allusion

A reference to a well known person, event, place, literary work, art

Anachronism

Something out of its proper historical time period (e.g., a character in ancient Rome wearing a wristwatch).

Analogy

A comparsion of 2 things and how they are alike

Aside 

A brief remark made by a character directly to the audience (or sometimes to themselves) that other characters on stage do not hear.

Black Humor

Humor that makes light of dark, disturbing, or morbid subjects.

Burlesque

A work that ridicules a subject by treating it in an exaggerated or absurd way, often mixing serious and ridiculous elements.

Colloquialism

Informal words, phrases, or slang used in everyday conversation rather than formal writing.

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme and have the same meter.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

The choice and style of words an author or speaker uses.

Feminine Rhyme

A rhyme of two or more syllables where the stress is not on the final syllable (e.g., motion / ocean).

Free Verse

Poetry that does not follow a fixed rhyme scheme or consistent meter.

Hubris

Excessive pride or self-confidence, often leading to a character’s downfall.

Inversion

Reversing the normal order of words (syntax) for emphasis, meter, or style (e.g., “Powerful you have become” instead of “You have become powerful”).

Metonym

A figure of speech where something is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it (e.g., “the crown” for monarchy, “the White House” for the U.S. president).

Pastoral

A work of literature that idealizes rural life and nature, often portraying it as peaceful and simple.

Protagonist

The main character in a story, often the one who drives the plot and faces the central conflict.

Pun

A play on words that exploits multiple meanings of a word or similar-sounding words for humor.

Satire

A literary technique that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize and expose flaws in society, politics, or human behavior.

Thesis

A statement or central idea in a piece of writing that presents the author’s main argument or claim.